Final Fantasy: Halkegenia Chronicles
by Xenongaf
Summary: After vanquishing the star-scourge, the Lucian kings fade into death, but not so for Noctis. The true king has another task set ahead of him. One that would take him into another great adventure fraught with perils, mysteries and secrets.
1. Chapter 1

The anguished yells of Ardyn Izunia permeated throughout the realm. Spirits of the 'Lucii', swords in hand assaulted the man contaminated with the star-scourge and its malicious intents, driving their swords through his chest.

Noctis steadily watched as they drove out the evil that had plagued Eos for centuries. The quest that had brought him here was finished. Yet Noctis felt no peace, instead of having an emptiness felt inside of him. He knew what the cause of it was and yet he couldn't fathom what would happen if he didn't choose this path. The darkness had stretched so far across Eos, that there was no light and no hope for the people.

The last king yelled a loud battle cry. Noctis grimly smiled at the sight of his father slashing and stabbing the host of the star-scourge before dissipating into blue lights. Ardyn doubled over, unable to repress the immense amount of pain in him. Looking up, he saw Noctis with his sword in hand, an intense stare set upon him.

Noctis drew his sword back before delivering the final stab to the chest. Ardyn gasped and collapsed to the ground, spasms erupting from his body as the darkness that permeated him dissipated and died.

As if woken from a bad dream, Ardyn shot up and stared at Noctis. Noctis motioned Ardyn to go. Ardyn brushed himself off before giving Noctis his salutations and dissipated.

Noctis sighed, it was finished. The challenges, hardships and adventures were not in vain. But, the one thing that kept at his conscience was how the land was going to be rebuilt. The elimination of Daemons was a significant milestone, but with the death of Ieodas Aldercapt and the destruction of the crystal, he didn't know what would come next. Surely the hunters and Kingsglaive remnants would come out and satisfy the population, but there were still swaths of imperial soldiers controlling parts of Eos. It would be quite some time before they could even settle down.

He thought back to his friends. The four of them were inseparable, the adventure made them intertwined in each other's lives. The road trip had strengthened their bonds to the point of being a band of brothers. Prompto's sarcasm and jokes kept the team's spirits up. Gladiolus' strength and practical knowledge assisted in the preservation of their lives and Ignis' intellect and knowledge counselled Noctis and the team's decisions in what they did, and his cooking was second to none.

All his friends and their qualities made their quest easier. Noctis shook his head. He might see them later on; in the afterlife. He could only hope that they would live fulfilled lives.

He smirked, maybe Prompto would gather the balls to ask Cindy out, even Gladiolus could probably settle down… Ignis could also open a restaurant.

Noctis sighed, he would have to wait to see what they were up to. For now, he might as well enjoy the peace. Closing his eyes, he laid back in the cosmic void, the emptiness keeping him company… except he couldn't find rest.

From within his shut eyelids, Noctis could make a bright green light assaulting his eyelids. A strange sensation flowed through his body, and the feeling of being dragged away was unnerving him. Snapping open his eyes, Noctis temporarily blinded himself to the green light before adjusting and realised what was happening.

A green rift had appeared opposite to him, and a green aura surrounded him, pulling him towards the breach. Noctis struggled knowing it was futile without the power of the ring. As he moved further into the portal, voices murmured quietly. Then one stood out among the rest.

"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar."

The disembodied voice only empowered Noctis to struggle even more. But the green aura pulled harder and tighter, almost suffocating Noctis into unconsciousness. The last thing he could remember was the overwhelming feeling of heat and force exerted on him.

Piles of books stacked up in the library; most of the spell books, others being historical backgrounds. She had studied for the past three days on the origins of a familiar and how to summon one…correctly. Louise sighed as she closed the history book. She had spent countless hours and given up personal time, just to get this right.

Louise was not a very outgoing girl, preferring to keep to her own company. The reason partially for this was her awkward socialising skills but also for her reputation as 'Zero'. This was by far the worst thing you could be called as a mage, as it denoted you didn't have any magic capability at all and therefore made you as simple as a commoner.

She was nervous for the summoning rituals tomorrow. If she screwed up and summoned something weird, or worse summoned nothing at all. She would be cast out of nobility and forced to live her life as a commoner. A notion that all nobles feared.

Turning back to the book she had closed, she clenched her fists. In everything she did, she could never do anything magical right, maybe just the small spells, but she couldn't ever get the practical side of things done right. Cupping her face in her hands, she sobbed.

Why had Brimir cursed her with explosive results and made her a terrible mage? Louise wished she hadn't ever been born into nobility or even born at all. The insults, remarks and feelings of failure always got to her. But somehow she managed to persevere.

A faint shuffle of feet interrupted Louise. Quickly wiping her face, she turned to face the intruder, who was no other than her longtime teacher and confidant, Professor 'Colbert'.

"Louise. What are you doing here?" he whispered, "it is a well past curfew, we don't want you summoning a rock tomorrow do we". A mirthful smirk adorned his face. Louise giggled before cleaning up after her self.

"Professor. I'm really nervous about my summoning", Louise confided, "what if I summon a rock or even worse, nothing at all!" Colbert placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Louise, I am positive you will summon something", he replied, "you have put so much effort into getting this right. Your actions will bear fruit, and you'll have a good familiar, I am sure of it". She grinned, her fears abated for a bit.

"Thank you, Professor… for believing in me", she said. And with that, Louise rushed off to her room. Colbert shook his head, he had strong faith she would summon something.

She obviously had a magical affinity, as demonstrated by her past attempts to do something magic related by summoning explosions. But none of her attributes fitted any of the magical associations of water, fire, earth, electricity or wind. 'Void' was the only exception as it has never been displayed in any manner other than being 'Brimir's' main affinity.

Colbert had a suspicion although it didn't have enough fact to back it up, the possibility that Louise was a void mage was highly unlikely but not impossible. Glancing at the study books she had, his eyes caught one particular large book.

'The Book of Brimir'


	2. Chapter 2

It was morning, and the sun streamed into the room. A golden beam shone onto Louise's face, disturbing her peaceful sleep. With a stretch of her arms and a long drawn yawn, she sat up on her bed, slightly squinting at the intrusion of light.

Rubbing her eyes, she then ran her hands through her pink hair, feeling the tangled curls and oil on her fingers. She sighed. Washing was a priority. Climbing out of bed. She walked over to the dresser, grabbed a hairbrush and a towel and set off to wash.

* * *

After cleaning herself and dressing in her uniform, she exited the dormitories and headed for the dining room. The hallways were packed with excited students. Most of the subject matter was about the familiar summons, with most people boasting that they would summon an incredible creature, while others would degrade them with small talk.

The other subject matter was about her, how the 'Zero' wasn't going to summon anything but explosions or even nothing. Louise tried to block it out, though she knew it always eventually affected her. A couple of stares were sent her way and giggles, and gossip filled the atmosphere.

Louise felt embarrassed. Keeping her head down, she continued down the hallway, until she arrived at the dining hall. It was still relatively early for nobles to eat breakfast, but Louise had no qualms about it. She really didn't want to hang there for too long, lest she attracted attention or insults.

Sitting down at a spot on the long tables, she twiddled her thumbs. It felt like it took hours for one of the servants to attend to her; she didn't mind.

"Miss Vallarie, what would you like?" the servant asked politely. She smiled; though they were classes apart, Louise felt a strange connection with the commoners rather than the nobles as they were able to be more real to her.

"Surprise me!" she replied with a cheerful grin on her face. The servant paused for a moment before writing something down on his piece of paper.

"Of course Miss", the servant said with a wink. He walked off in the direction of the kitchen. Louise sighed and continued twiddling her thumbs. Thoughts of what the familiar could be appeared in her mind: a duck, horse; maybe a cat?

She kept mulling through her thoughts. Dragon…oh no, that would never happen for me…Human...

"Here you go Miss Vallarie", the voice jolted Louise out of her deep thoughts. A steaming bowl of hot soup and a platter of freshly baked bread rolls sat in front of her. The tantalising smell of the food caught her attention.

"Thank you, servant", she said. The servant nodded before leaving. Louise turned back to her meal at hand. Taking a piece of bread, she dipped it into the soup, before taking a bite. Instantly the flavours hit her. The saltiness of the soup combined with the bread sweetness blended well to make a tasty meal.

Louise tucked into the meal. Biting into the soft sweet bread, made her mouth feel high on cloud nine. As she ate into her meal contentedly, two figures waltzed into the hall.

"My, my, what do we have here?" a familiar voice spoke. Louise glanced up and froze her actions. Kirche von Anhalt Zerbst, a dark brown, buxom red hair woman looked at her with a sneer.

"What do you want Zerbst?" Louise asked uncertainly. The redhead's unpleasant gaze made it hard to make eye contact.

"I find it quite amusing that you haven't already given up", she chortled, "I mean, how can you be a mage when you couldn't even master the basic spells, much less summon a creature to become your familiar".

The condescending tone in Kirche's voice made the food in Louise's mouth taste sour, and her appetite disappeared.

"Besides I will summon the most magnificent familiar out of all the mages", she spoke with finality.

"Yes, Kirche the Ardent, we hear your extravagant claim", a new voice spoke, "but I Guiche de Gramont will summon an even better familiar". The person in question dramatically waved his wand around, emphasising the point. Louise rolled her eyes; the blond idiot could never get enough of himself. His arrogant attitude was so repulsive; it was a wonder how he attracted all the girls.

"Oh, really Gramont?" Kiche snidely replied, "the most you'll probably summon is an earthworm you dirty earth mage". Louise giggled.

"What. You think this is funny?" Guiche growled, "If anything, at least I'll summon something worthwhile!" The whole dining room went silent. Louise felt all eyes on her, a small convulsion started in her chest. Tears began to trickles. Chairs screeched as it was roughly pushed out, Louise storming outside of the hall, sobbing into her hands.

Kirche just looked on the situation with indifference, while Guiche felt remorseful for making someone cry, even if it was 'Zero'.

* * *

Louise ran outside, past the battle square, past the summoning grounds and straight towards the gates.

I.. I.. I can't do this anymore! She thought. The raging emotions inside of her broke free after years of failing to produce any worthwhile magic results. She reached the gate when a voice called out to her.

"Louise!"

She turned around and found Professor Colbert running after her. Shaking her head, she turned back towards her destination.

"Louise! Stop!"

She clenched her eyes and halted. Her arms wrapped around her body in a loose cocoon. When Colbert caught up with her. She was shaking with an emotional breakdown. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Louise, are you alright?" he asked cautiously. Louise turned, and Colbert saw the reddened face, tear streaks and bloodshot eyes. Louise slowly leaned against Colbert, and he comforted her.

"Louise, you know you can use magic", he said, "why do you still let it get to you?"

"I.. I don't know Professor", she replied, "it just hurts whenever they call me a Zero and talk about how I can't control my magic". Her emotional breakdown had subsided, sobering her up a bit, but her vulnerability still showed.

Colbert sighed. The girl had finally cracked. After withstanding the insults and willing to uphold her family motto, she had pressured herself too hard. The man tried to come up with something to say to the downcast girl.

"Professor, I think I should leave the academy", Colbert looked at her shocked. Was it really that bad?

"I've been thinking about this a lot, and I thought, maybe if I leave the nobles life altogether, I can get rid of all these problems…and lead a simple life."

"Louise, I think you should stay…for now", Colbert said, "Summon a familiar, and if you fail…you can leave on your own accord. But if you succeed, stay with us." Louise stared long and hard at Colbert, the professor wondered if she would even consider the proposition.

"Alright, I accept your proposal professor", she replied with a small smile. Colbert grin before checking the time. His eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw it was nearly time for the familiar summons.

"Quickly Louise, we need to get to the familiar summoning grounds now!". Louise didn't need to be told twice and, along with Colbert, ran all the way to the summons.

"Come on professor!" Louise huffed, "we're going to be late." The pair of them panted as they sprinted to the summoning grounds, willing themselves to make it before the ceremony started.

"Easy for you to say, Louise", he spoke gasping for air, "you're a young lass, I'm a middle-aged man". Louise laughed at the banter.

As they rounded the corner, they could see the summoning ceremony, all students gathered around the summoning circle. A small podium with an old man on it stood out, teachers flanking both sides of him. Colbert cussed under his breath.

"Osman is going to have my hide for this", he muttered. The two quickly rushed into the crowd of students, pushing and shoving through the throes of teenagers. As the pair began to part ways, Colbert placed a hand to Louise's shoulder.

"Louise", she turned and looked right at the middle-aged man.

"Good luck", he said, an encouraging smile on his lips. Louise returned it with a nod before breaking from his grip and burrowing further into the mass of students.

"Greetings teachers and students!" the old man began, his voice booming with authority. Louise flinched at the sound. It was compelling and slightly unnerving.

"Today is a momentous time, where our senior students are to conduct the annual familiar summoning ritual. Those who are in the junior levels, pay close attention to the ritual, for this will be done by you in a year or so", he cleared his throat and cast a knowing look to the senior body.

"To the senior students, may I remind you that any familiar summoned must have their contract completed, there are to be no re-summons at any point unless I have deemed it appropriate and necessary", the students murmured among themselves, some concerned and others agreeing.

"Now, to start the summons off, the first student will be… Kirche von Anhalt Zerbst. Please step into the summoning circle." Kirche followed his instructions. The buxom woman gave off a seductive smirk to the boys, swaying her hips tantalisingly as she walked to the centre of the circle.

At the centre, she drew her wand and recited the words she wanted to say.

"To my familiar out in the world, heed my call. I Kirche the Ardent summon you in the name of Brimir!" she whipped her wand forward. Instantly a magic circle swirled in front of Kirche before revealing the familiar. A giant red lizard with black lined tattoos crawled from the portal, a forked tongue flickering. Kirche squealed in delight.

Louise looked on with awe. Kirche had summoned a fire salamander, one of the most coveted familiars amongst fire mages as it could amplify the nobles power depending on the strength and life force of the salamander.

"Now Miss Zerbst, finish the contract", Osman spoke. Kirche nodded and proceeded to continue where she left off.

"My fiery familiar. I, Kirche the Ardent, bind thee to my will and become your master, in Brimir's name", Kirche waved her wand before bending down and kissing the creature on its snout. The summoning portal dissipated and the ritual was complete. She then led the beast away, back to her spot in the crowd.

"Well down, Miss Zerbst. Next up we have… Guiche de Gramont. Please step into the summoners circle and begin the ritual". The blonde boy flicked his hair to the side, before drawing his rosy wand. He stepped into the circle.

"O my beautiful familiar in this world, I ask of you by the power of Brimir, to be summoned!" He spoke dramatically.

A magic circle appeared on the floor before a small rumble shook the grounds. Out popped a pink nose, before a giant pointed face surfaced revealing an earth mole. Guiche looked at the mole in sheer indignance. The old man squinted. It was cute, but not what the Gramont had envisioned as 'the best familiar ever to be known to the school'.

"Finish the contract Mr Gramont", he spoke. Guiche suppressed a retort, before speaking some words and kissing the moles snout. The mole seemed to take a liking to him, digging itself out of the ground and nudging Guiche affectionately, much to his disgust. The boy walked from the summons circle, sulking about the familiar he summoned.

"Right now that's out of the way, the next summoner is Tabitha de Orleans…", Louise wasn't listening anymore. She just watched summon after summon, the familiar's people had. Some of the familiars looked exotic like Kirche's lizard or the dragon summoned by a blue-haired girl by the name of Tabitha. Some seemed quite puzzling like Guiche's giant mole or another student's sloth. A few looked downright terrifying like the flying eyeball, and a giant lizard-like creature Colbert called an Alligator.

Mentally she kept thinking over what she and Colbert had talked about. By the void, I really hope I summon a decent familiar. She couldn't stand the fact that she may not be able even to do the spell correctly. Thinking back earlier in the day, if she didn't summon something worthy, she would become even more of a laughing stock.

The last student summoned their familiar, an owl that was lime green in colour. Still, in her thoughts, it took a few minutes till she suddenly realised all eyes were on her.

"…ss Vallière, are you listening to me", the old man's voice pierced through her scattered thoughts. She was acutely aware of the fact she had daydreamed and was going to get embarrassed because of it.

"Yes Professor Osman", she replied quickly. The students giggled at her, and a dull murmur stirred up in the crowd, progressively getting louder.

"BE SILENT!" Osman roared. Instantly the students shut up, not a peep came out of them. They knew the consequences of disobeying the old man, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Now, Miss Vallière. Please step into the summoning circle", she swallowed then nodded before making her way to the circle. Every step she took, she felt the absurdity of her actions growing. The stares on her made Louise feel skittish as if a squeak would trigger her emotions to forfeit her nobility instantly.

When she finally stepped into the circle, she took a deep breath. Producing her wand from the innards of the mage cloak. Recitals of the spell playing in her mind.

A spark of ingenuity fastened into her thoughts. What if she slightly changed the summon spell, surely it would do something? She cleared her throat. All eyes were watching her.

"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar, in the name of Brimir", she spoke with confidence, ignoring the attention of her peers. She waved her wand elegantly and waited…waited…waited.

The student body started murmuring, even Osman was conversing with the other professors. Louise's shoulders sagged. I knew I shouldn't have done this, now I've made a fool of myself and my family. I don't belong here. As Louise started to turn, a shrill noise sounded in the air before something fell out of the sky.

SCHENK!

Louise was speechless. There in front of her was a sword, unique in the design. The blade had external components attached near the handle, cogs and machinery parts adorned it. It was an exotic sight. One of the students recovered from the momentary shock. His thoughts turned from awe to amusement.

"The Zero summoned a sword!" he yelled, cackling. Soon the entire cohort was in an uproar. Louise turned red from embarrassment as the teachers tried to settle the students down. She looked to find Colbert's face in the crowd, eyes in a knowing expression. She began to cry, she had failed him.

Suddenly the sound of other things whistled through the air, the crowd quieting down to watch the display. More swords and armaments crashed into the ground, creating a perfect circle around the first sword. The air was silent; the attention of the students was focused on the deadly mass of weapons.

A green glow began to shroud the small armoury, and it began to levitate off the ground. The weapons then spun around the centre sword, which had started to produce a bright blue glow. The dance of the swords went faster and faster to some unsung beat as the glow grew brighter.

The students' eyes were amazed at this display, some fainting at the awesome sight. Louise's own thoughts were scrambled, unable to process what was occurring right before her eyes.

The mass of swords began to create a high pitched whine, climbing higher and higher until it reached the breaking point.

BOOM!

The display exploded in a brilliant pulse of light, cascading outwards to the body of students. Heat and energy exuded from the explosion, tossing students onto the ground. Then all was silent.

Louise opened her eyes to find a small crater and the blue glow emanating from a figure on the ground. As she moved closer, the light diminished in strength until she could see what was in the concaved earth.

There on the ground laid a man dressed in a strange set of garments. His face was unshaven with sharp striking features. Black hair, pale skin and a slightly muscular frame were all she could identify. But then she realised something; the man was unconscious.

Louise was so focused on the man, she didn't realise Osman and the rest of the student body were getting off the ground and staring surprised at the sight. Louise took steps toward the man before kneeling down and cupping his face. Out of her own accord, her mouth spoke for her.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the five elemental powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar", she bent down and lightly kissed his forehead.

Instantly, a scratching sound drew Louise's attention to his left hand and was shocked to see a bloody rune carved into his skin. Lines deeply embedded itself into the surface, sputtering red liquid out of the newly made wound.

A groaning noise emanated from the man's mouth. She hurriedly got up and took steps backwards, fear and nervousness gripping her stomach.

The man's eyes fluttered open. He raised his left hand to his forehead before realising there was a carved symbol on the skin. His eyes widened before he squinted at Louise. She gulped, an uneasy atmosphere settled in. A significant misunderstanding could happen.

A heavy scowl plastered into his face as he struggled to get himself up off the ground. Dragging his body against gravity, he stood up on his two legs forcing his body to adopt a proud and slightly aggressive posture.

He then spoke at her, but the words he spoke were harsh, alien and unfamiliar. When she shook her head, he only got angrier and began taking steps to her, to which she made even more backward steps.

Professor, Colbert stepped between the man and Louise. He drew his wand and aimed.

"TRANSOLODATE, UNILT FAMILIAR!" he uttered and cast his wand towards the man in black. The spell hit just as the next words came out of the man.

"What the hell did you do to me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis stared at his bloody hand. Blood pumped it was way out of the wounds and trickled onto the ground below. Pain erupted from the sensitive nerve endings. Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain and stepped forward. The crowd backed off a bit, startled. Furrowing his brows, he turned to the closest person to him; a pink haired girl holding a small black stick

"You!" he demanded, "where the hell am I?". The girl had a look of amazement and fear at the same time.

"You are in Tristain… familiar", she spoke meekly. The girl held her head low, unwilling to look him in the face. Noctis narrowed his eyes.

"What did you just call me?" he replied. The girl didn't even squeak. His body reacted and forcefully grasped her cloak.

"What do you mean 'familiar'?" he questioned harshly.

"I…I-I summoned you…to be my servant", she nervously replied, "I …its an accident I swear!". She looked terrified. Noctis brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose. 'What in Bahamut's name is going on here'.

"Miss Vallierae, please escort your familiar away from the summoning grounds", an old man said. The girl, not knowing if she wanted to deal with the familiar or Osman decided to drag Noctis by the hand (the clean one). Noctis followed hesitantly but followed the girl to avoid any unnecessary attention. Already he could see they were the centre of attention, which was never a good thing.

The old man spoke again, "now the rest of you students, congratulations on your familiar summons, this is the first step into becoming nobles and magicians…". 'Nobles? What kind of nobles practised magic'? This confused Noctis; the only nobles he had seen strategised on the war council or fought as part of the Kingsglaive. These kids barely even looked regal; to his eyes, they were nothing more than spoilt brats.

"In light of new developments, we are going to be changing a few of the curriculum elements because of this", he finished, "now go back to your dorms, you have the rest of the day to spend with your familiars. Dismissed!" The old man left the podium and headed towards the central spire, along with other professors.

Noctis took one glance at the crowd before walking away. He realised he wasn't in the best condition to head out but continued through the pain. He kept hobbling to the exit; where the hell was he? The sound of footsteps came from behind. He took a glance before scoffing at the sight of the pink haired girl, running after him.

He had just cleared the entrance of the academy when his problem came back to him.

"Hey! Come back here!" the pink haired girl yelled. He ignored her, the pain in his right leg and left shoulder were quite distracting.

"Familiar!" he didn't even acknowledge her presence, just kept walking.

"Familiar! I order you to come back to me!" he stopped. Turning around slowly, he found himself scowling at the girl. The nerve she had to think she could command him, just because a few magic words had summoned him.

"I am Noctis Lucis Caelum, little girl," he proudly stated, "I answer to no-one but myself. You would do well to remember that". The girl scrunched up her face.

"I don't care who you are, but I have summoned you to become my familiar," she exclaimed, "and I'm not about to let the only thing that has worked for me walk away!"

Suddenly Noctis heard loud breathing, animalistic. His eyes caught a fast-moving object, and he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a sharp horn that smashed into a tree trunk. When he got a good look at the creature, it had an uncanny resemblance of a 'duplicorn'; except it wasn't that beast. Wild blue eyes, sharp antlers, chestnut fur and a white mane. It was a magnificent yet ferocious beast, with the intention to kill him.

Looking behind him, he could see Louise struggling to keep a strong face, but it was blatantly obvious she was terrified of the thing. The 'duplicorn' look-alike charged at him again. He dodged it again, but it kept charging at the girl. She pulled out a stick but just stood there, stunned and frightened; he didn't. Within an instant, the 'Star of the Rouge' flew true towards its target.

SHENK!

The beast stumbled to the ground; it's headless body flailing in its last moments before it stopped, dead. The phantom weapon dissipated into crystalline shards. Louise stood there, shocked and astonished at him, amazed by his display of power. Noctis walked over to the corpse.

"What did you just do?" Louise asked. Noctis didn't even look at her; he was more interested in the dead animal that lay in front of him.

"What kind of animal is this?" Noctis queried.

"It's a Yale, and a scary one at that", she answered, "you still haven't answered my question". Noctis looked at her with furrowed brows.

"You don't need to know anything Ms Vallirie, besides I'm leaving," he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Wait! Don't go!". Noctis halted, there was a desperation in her tone. Something that he could understand on just coming from that phase in his life. He turned back to her.

"Why do you follow me?" he questioned, though his features softened. Before him, the girl was trembling; she looked like she was going to burst into tears.

"I…I just can't go back to the academy empty-handed, they'll mock and ridicule me", she sniffed, "you're my last shred of hope to ever becoming a decent mage. Can't you please help me?" Her eyes were watery. Noctis sighed, his gaze went from Louise to the large building structure behind her. Perhaps they would have some information on how the magic worked around here.

He stared at her for a good minute before opening his mouth.

Louise stared at the ground, struggling to keep herself together. She was frightened, frightened that her familiar would never agree to work for her. What would her mother think? Knight-Commander Karin would think her pitiful for allowing emotions to come through, but she couldn't keep it together anymore. Louise saw visions of her returning home, to find that she was cast out to forever dwell among the commoners.

She would lose that moment with her family…though; they weren't much of a family she pondered. Her life though would be free for any noble to do whatever he/she liked, and that scared her the most — not having any control over her life.

"I'll help you", he said. Louise's head shot up. What! She was sure that he would leave her and go on his lonesome. Guess fate had other plans for her.

"But on one condition", she paused before nodding. "After three years of service to you, you will set me free". At that Louise's mind halted. Three years? Familiars are required to stay for life! She thought. But in all honesty, she was just glad she had something to show for her efforts.

"I accept your proposition, Familiar", she replied. He cocked his eyebrow.

"And call me Noctis, not Familiar", he said with finality.

"So, are you a noble?" Louise asked. It had been a mainly silent walk back to the school, one spent by Noctis marvelling at the peacefulness of the land. Her question jolted him out his day-dreaming. He thought about the query before answering.

"I am the former King of Lucis", Noctis said reluctantly. Louise stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were wide and afraid.

"King?!" she exclaimed. Her surprise was evident in her face before it morphed into an expression of suspicion. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Noctis pulled out an object from inside his robes. In the palm of his hands was a medium-sized rectangular crystal, carved with a gruesome skull that had circles surrounding it. A feathered texture lined the back of the human-skull like strands of hair. Its appearance frightened Louise.

"This is the symbol of my countries royalty", he explained, "Only high lords and royalty can carry these stones, which are of a rare and near-indestructible gem". As he twisted it in his hand, the colour of the stone turned from black to purple to blue and let out a slight hue around the object. Louise's eyes lingered onto the haunting beauty of the rock. Noctis placed it back into his pouch.

"Is that enough proof for you Louise?" he playfully asked. She nodded.

"Of course!" Louise exclaimed, "I have never seen something so rare and beautiful. It would be impossible ever to find something like that here". He nodded and continued towards the school, with Louise tagging behind him.

It was late noon when they had arrived back, and the sun was setting over the horizon. Noctis felt his face. It had been a while since he had access to some shaving supplies. Scraggly bits of hair grew in patches, giving off an itchy feeling, he would rectify it soon.

As they passed through the entrance, a figure was running haggardly towards them. As Louise squinted, it became clear who it was.

"Professor Colbert!" she exclaimed. When he got to them, he was breathing quite heavily, hands on his knees to support the body. After several minutes of gulping air, the professor got up.

"Louise, where have you been? The entire detachment of staff and students went out in search of you!" his question stunned Louise for a bit.

"I'm sorry Professor, I was…getting to know my familiar", she said awkwardly. He looked at her pointedly before looking at the familiar.

"Can he speak our language?" he asked. Noctis snorted.

"For your information, it is rude to talk about me like I'm a dumb rock", he sassed. The professor glared at him dumbfounded. The atmosphere grew tense until Louise piped up.

"Uh… I'll take my familiar back to my dorm, tell everyone that I'm thankful for the search party, but I am safe, and sound now". The professor nodded in agreement before taking another glance at Noctis and walking off, sulking a bit. The two shrugged their shoulder's at the professor's odd behaviour. Louise spoke up.

"Let me show you the academy". Noctis nodded, although it was quite late.

Louise started with all the essential amenities, like bathrooms. Noctis was surprised by the level of technology in the toilet system, containing advanced plumbing and pressure systems while using wood and other unconventional materials. The bathtub was less sophisticated but had a central place to boil the water before coming to the taps.

The next place was the dining hall. She explained that there was a rule for familiars to eat elsewhere, but she would try to find a loophole. Noctis shook his head in disappointment. The hall itself was gigantic. Stained glass windows lined the walls, depicting epic battles or noble deeds. Tables lined the room in small sections, no more than ten people at the table.

Suddenly a scent caught the attention of Noctis's nose and stomach, which grumbled in anticipation. His mind focused on the smell, processing it. Louise smirked at the daydreaming Noctis was doing.

"You know I can get you a plate of the food", she suggested, he bowed his head in gratefulness. They headed over to the kitchens to see the chefs.

The smell grew stronger as they neared the destination, and Noctis was beginning to discern what kind of dish it was. His mind wandered off to the 'Toadsteak' drumsticks Ignis would make. The medium rare meat was somewhat of a favourite of his.

As they opened the door, Noctis was surprised to see that he was correct in a matter of speaking. A sizeable roasted carcass was turning on a wooden skewer, cooking over a pit of hot coals. Numerous cooks bustled around, chopping vegetables and other food to combine with the meal.

"Hello, how may I help you?" a chef asked. He was a stout man with a moustache that seemed to defy all the laws of physics, in both sheer size and weight; Noctis could only imagine the time and effort it took to groom the thing.

"Chef, I would like to order something for my family…friend", she awkwardly asked. The man perked up and went to one of the stations; after minutes of waiting, he came back with a platter of food. Noctis gratefully accepted the dish and took in the delicious smells. Noctis gave his thanks to the chef before rushing out of the kitchen to eat the food. Louise only looked in mild surprise.

After Noctis ate his food, they journeyed to Louise's room. When she opened the door, Noctis looked around and nodded in approval. While not as flashy as his room back in Insomnia, he quickly changed his opinion when on the open road, and any place in his opinion beats camping.

"I wasn't expecting you to be human", she shyly said, shame plain on her face, "I didn't have anything prepared, please excuse me". Noctis just raised an eyebrow.

"Louise, this is fine", he reassured, "I've slept in worse places. Besides, all I need is a mattress and some bedding". He quickly went to work and found a mattress and some blankets. After setting it down, he removed his heavy jacket, shoes and sword; placing it down next to his bedding.

"Noctis, I ah…need to get into my nightwear", he took the hint and left the room. Noctis looked around, and seeing no-one, went to do some more exploring. A hiss came from a shadow in the corner, and out came a red salamander, carefully keeping a distance from its target…

Navigating the hallways was confusing at first for Noctis; eventually leading him to a courtyard. The place reminded him of the palace gardens, where he met Iris Amicitia. Those were fond memories indeed, trying to track down the younger sister of Gladiolus, surviving through the rain and returning home. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't fun.

But, the cloud of fantasy dissipated, leaving behind a garden that could never compare to his garden back home. Home, he thought wistfully. He was grateful for being alive but had a great sense of longing to go back, to see what had become of Eos…alas he knew what needed to be done. A sacrifice to give many a future and new start. Being mindful of the time, he left the garden and attempted to find his way back. After turning and walking down endless corridors, Noctis got the feeling he lost all semblance of directions.

The growing anxiety of being caught in the hallways was something he was all too familiar with, but this time it was from the moving patches of light, who he assumed were the wardens. They probably would be very suspicious if a non-wizard bumped into them and would most likely turn me over to the headmaster' he thought.

Suddenly a flash of red scurried down a turn, one that was not filled with people out to get him. Noctis took a second to process before making up his mind and following the red thing. This particular walkway was darker than the rest, with only a faint redness to guide him. Noctis kept his senses on high alert; anything could happen.

Another four turns and hallways later, he arrived at the door to another room. The red thing slipped through the slight crack in the door. Noctis not knowing what to do silently opened the door, revealing a very personalised bedroom, most unlike Louise's. More ornaments and decorations lined the place in a very regal manner. Noctis was gazing around when suddenly light hit his eyes.

Squinting and using his hands, he began to make out the shape of a woman; eventually being able to see more detail as his eyes adjusted. He was confused. There in front of him, a buxom brown redhead stood in front of him in a revealing nightgown. A longing look framed on her face, neediness oozed from her presence. Noctis was then horrified at his sudden realisation. She wanted to sleep with him.

"Oh Flame, you brought me a gift, how sweet of you", she purred to the animal, "do me a favour and restrain him". Instantly the salamander twisted and curled wrapping Noctis's body in a vice-like grip. He struggled to free himself which only served to tighten his already strong bonds.

"I am Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst", she introduced herself passionately, rubbing her slender body against him, "and you are going to feel my passion, handsome". Noctis felt disgusted at what he heard. Subconsciously his mind went to Lunafreya, his fiancée before she died at Altissia. He fought back harder against the salamander, before casting an ice spell.

Instantly the room turned down into freezing temperatures weakening the salamander. Noctis threw off the amphibian with a growl. The salamander skidded a meter or so, slamming into the wall and hissing in pain. Kirche seemed shocked and a little bit fearful of him as he glared at her fiercely. The room grew deathly silent as Noctis glowered at the teenager.

"I am not some toy for you to play with, Zerbst", he spat out, "you acting like some harlot is repulsive to my being. Never come near me again". With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving Kirche and an incapacitated salamander to shiver in the ice spell.

Exiting the seductress's abode, he scowled back at the doorway. The experience would have been traumatising not to mention emasculating. From now on, he would make every effort to avoid direct contact with the nymphomaniac.

Still trying to make his way back to his dorm room, Noctis closed his eyes and took deep breaths, letting the feet drag him around.

When he looked up again, the dorm room stood in front of him. Opening the door quietly, he found that Louise was already fast asleep, curled up under the silky sheets. Lying down on his bed, Noctis closed his eyes and eventually fell into a deep slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Noctis waited for Louise to wake up, sitting on the makeshift bed in anticipation. He wondered if the students were allowed off campus; he was curious about this new place.

The sunlight was just starting to enter the room, golden beams brightening the floorboards. The minutes passed, and the light slowly crept up onto Louise's sleeping form, until it was on her face. She scrunched up her face in disappointment before turning over and letting out a small groan.

As if watching, the sun then thoroughly bathed her body in the glorious warmth. Noctis watched silently as she grudgingly got out of her bed and yawned.

"Morning sleepyhead, how was your beauty slumber?" he asked cheerfully. She raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging.

"It was better than average", she replied, "how was your sleep? Did you dream well?". Noctis thought about it, should he tell her? He decided when the time was right he would reveal it. For now, it was best she didn't think he was a lunatic.

"Not too bad, the mattress could be softer, but I've slept in worse", he joked. Louise smiled before grabbing a towel and spare change of clothes.

"Today is a free day for us mages to get to know our familiars better, so I decided we should go into town", she said, "Plus there is a café that serves good drinks". Noctis was optimistic, to say the least, a trip into town was what he was hoping for anyway, and a café no less. He hoped it was the same kind of 'café' back in Insomnia.

"Sounds good Louise", Noctis put on the garments that he brought with him, strapping the cape around him and fitting on the armoured right pauldron. He put on his shoes and noticed it was heavily worn. Stylish shoes in combat were probably not the best idea.

"Louise, I have a favour to ask", she turned to him listening, "I don't have any money here, but my shoes are damaged, I need to find a new pair in town, could you buy them for me?" She took a moment to think about it.

"I'll think about it when we get there", she replied. Noctis nodded and headed out of the room to go shave his spikey stubble. Along the way, he found many mages with their familiars, some dragging the creatures by a leash, others were reluctantly following their masters, very few had really taken to their new masters.

Another thing he noticed; the familiars were all animals, none were human. This either meant Louise was unique or he was very unlucky to be considered amongst the creatures. Regardless there was nothing he could do to change the situation, he had to press on.

Passing the dining hall, he noticed on one of the stained glass windows a familiar image. Of course, it could've been their religion, but he could've sworn the crystal of Eos was displayed in a halo, surrounded by armoured soldiers, like that of the Niflheim Empire. He looked away, the need to shave gnawed on his mind.

Noctis made his way to the bathrooms and was surprised to see the balding man with glasses washing his face. The man turned to see Noctis and offered a surprised look. He ignored it and walked to the sink, applying some of the shaving creams they had.

"So…Noctis", Colbert began, "how was your first night?" Noctis took a few seconds to shave off some of his goatee.

"Slightly unpleasant, Professor Colbert", he replied, "a student's familiar kidnapped me and tried to let his mistress sleep with me". Colbert put a hand to his chin.

"Does she have long red hair?" he asked. Noctis thought back to the night. It was dark, but she did have reddish hair. He nodded. Colbert could only grimace.

"Yes she does have that sort of reputation as a seductress, though I am surprised you resisted her charms", Noctis shook his head.

"In my eyes, if she had her way with me, I would've never forgiven myself", he stated firmly.

"May I ask why?" Colbert queried. The memories were still raw and fresh in his mind, although tens of years passed outside the crystal, inside it felt like only hours with the training that he had with Bahamut. And he still remembered Lunafreya's death, fresh in his mind.

"My fiancée was killed very recently over in my world", he explained reluctantly, "I had a...special relationship with her. To give in to what Kirche wanted, that would've felt like a self-loathing betrayal to all my fiancée did for me". Colbert nodded in agreement.

"I am sorry for your loss", the professor's sympathy gave Noctis a more positive attitude.

"It's okay, I've had time to resolve the grief", Noctis replied, "Besides I'm in this world now". A sudden thought occurred to him. He realised that although Louise was his master, she wasn't necessarily experienced on how everything worked. Professor Colbert, on the other hand, was older and more knowledgeable on how this reality worked.

"So Professor", Noctis asked, "I have a slight request for you. Because I am not native to this reality, I would like to acquaint myself with the customs of the land, etcetera". The older man put a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"I could direct you to the library, but then again you wouldn't know how to read our language", Noctis looked disappointed.

"Then how was I able to understand you when I found myself here".

"That was because I had cast a translation spell. I can't cast a spell that would grant you an understanding of our entire language. It requires an advanced mage to prepare and cast", Colbert explained, "with that said, I am willing to teach you in my spare time the history and some general customs to bring you up to speed".

"Thank you, Professor, I'd really appreciate that", Noctis said. The balding mage just waved it off.

"Tomorrow, meet me at the Northern tower after lunch, and we will begin instruction", with that said, the old man left the bathrooms. Noctis sighed in relief. Though Louise could help him, it wouldn't hurt just to get extra information. He quickly finished up in the shower before heading out to the central courtyard.

Louise was waiting for him, tapping her feet softly on the cobblestone pavement. She wore a green knee-length skirt with black lacing and patterns adorning it. A white blouse topped it with a charcoal cloak clasped at the front. Her pink hair was done up in a low ponytail tucking all her loose strands.

"Are we ready to go Noctis?" she asked.

"I'm definitely ready to leave this place". As much as Noctis enjoyed the greenery, he was keen to explore what the rest of the land had to offer him. They discreetly left the courtyard and entered the stables. Louise looked at him.

"Have you ever ridden a horse Noctis?". He shook his head and swallowed, he only had experience with riding 'chocobos', and they just had two legs. How hard could it be? He watched as Louise hoisted herself upon the beast, readjusting her seating before motioning for Noctis to do the same. Slowly, he copied the motions that Louise had just done only moments ago. Swinging onto the saddle, and locking his feet into the stirrups; a sense of achievement filled his mind. The horse, already used to this sort of stuff, nickered and pawed the ground beneath it.

"Wow", Louise said in surprise, "usually it takes people many tries to get it right, are you sure you haven't ridden a horse before?" He nodded in confirmation.

"There was something like this back home, but it had two legs and was feathery", he replied. And softer too, he added in thought. He lightly gripped the reins and gave a flick. The horse trotted to the exit of the stables. Louise followed in suit, flicking her reins and nudged the horse on.

Soon enough, they left the perimeter of the academy and were on their way to the town. The horses cantered for half an hour before making a stop to drink water. Noctis decided to share some of his adventures around Lucis.

"So you fought a giant mountain!" Louise exclaimed. Noctis chuckled while shaking his head.

"Not quite, but it was a beast the size of a small mountain", he explained, "its name was Adamantoise, and it was tough". He reflected on that time when Prompto almost got swept up by the things appendage. It was tough but offered a good reward.

"So how did you beat it", she asked excitedly.

"My friends and I worked together to bring it down, though it was the most excruciating thing we had ever done", he said, Prompto was out for days trying to come to grips that the 'Chocobros' killed a mountain.

"That sounds awesome!" Louise squealed. She hadn't expected to be interested in his adventures, but they were so dramatic and enjoyable.

"So Louise, what kind of shenanigans do you get up to?" Noctis casually asked he was curious at what happened in her life at the academy. Louise shyly looked away, embarrassment filling her cheeks.

"Well…it's not so much as shenanigans as it is accidents", she mumbled, "I am very lacking in my control of magic". Noctis was interested.

"And what kind of accidents have you caused". Louise blushed.

"During a class for alchemy, I attempted to transmute a material into metal", she hung her head, "I ended up blowing up a third of the classroom, and knocked my teacher unconscious because of it". Noctis laughed hard. It took him a minute to get his composure back.

"Does this happen quite regularly", he playfully asked.

"On occasion, when I attempt at casting spells", her facial expression was downcast, "it's just that I don't know why it does that, I study the spells so hard and get good marks on theory, but practical assessments…". She balled her hands into fists, squeezing them as she became slightly self-conscious of her 'zero' nature. She didn't want to be weak.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, releasing some tension in her mind and thoughts. Noctis then used his other hand to massage the other shoulder. She looked up and found a smiling face at her.

"Don't let that beat you down, I'm sure you'll get past the control", he spoke, "it takes time, and not everyone can master it easily, you need to look at it positively". Louise nodded her head.

"Plus, it's pretty awesome to be able to summon explosions at will, would be very useful in battle", he stated, "I want to see you do it". She widened her eyes.

"I don't think that is a good idea Noctis", she warned, "it can get quite out of hand". He just shook his head.

"I think I can manage", he said confidently. Louise reluctantly moved several metres away from Noctis and got into a spellcasting stance. She slowly brought the wand to her face and breathed in and out softly. Her wand flew down in the direction of a rock.

"Alchemi – Ferrous!" she exclaimed. Almost immediately, an explosion rocked the area where the rock was, dust threw up in the air. Both Louise and Noctis coughed as they tried to exhale the minuscule earth particles in the air.

When the air had cleared, both Noctis and Louise were greeted with a surprising sight; more like empty space. The area was completely obliterated. Blackened ground – heavily scorched from the power of the spell, filled the perimeter of a 4x4 square.

Noctis turned his head towards Louise, an incredulous expression plastered on his face. Louise gave a small embarrassed smile. It took a while for Noctis to form words.

"Holy Crystal! You just exploded a rock", he said, "you call this a problem?". She grimaced.

"When that is the only magical thing you can do, then yes it can be a problem", Noctis glanced at her. He never thought about it. Magic in his realm was only good for destruction and petty entertainment. But hers defines your class in society, which relies on magic for other tasks than just destroying things.

"Sorry", he apologised, "I'm not used to magic being useful other than being a way to destroy things…I mean, you would be probably one of the best mage users to be able to do that". She lightly blushed under that comment.

"Thank you Noctis, it really encourages me when you say my affinity for explosions is useful", she frowned, "although I don't know how to harness it well enough actually to form an effective weapon". Noctis put his hand on his forehead, deep in thought.

'Click'

Ah! I know just what to do, he thought.

"Hey Louise", she looked over, "what say you and I practice some magic together after this trip to town". Her face lit up, and she smiled.

"I would love that very much Noctis", she replied. Glancing at the sun she headed to the horses, "we had best be going; otherwise we won't make it to town before sunset". Noctis nodded.

"I agree", he promptly headed to his horse and swung onto the beast, locking his feet into the stirrups, "lead the way, Louise". She flicked the reins of her horse, and they trotted on, with Noctis a few feet away. Upon a few miles of travel, grey walls sprung from the horizon. The town grew larger as the two progressed towards it.

"There it is Noctis, the town of Bellaruse", Louise proclaimed. Noctis squinted his eyes at the sunlight. The town was of medium size, the tallest building being a bell tower with multiple men on the ramparts, watching the surroundings with bored gazes. He shook his head; those guards were setting themselves up for failure. The town itself was surrounded by low walls that also doubled as buildings, mainly shops.

As the pair trotted in on the steads, Noctis was struck with the sight. Children playing in the streets and laughing, bustling crowds milled about peacefully, vendors yelling to the world that their wares were the best and people smiling, no weight on their conscience about darkness. Even the smell was different, no smoky pollution filling the air, just natural winds and sweet scents of food wafting in the air.

Noctis closed his eyes. I wish the guys were here, the sights for Prompt, the food for Ignis and even the people for Gladiolus. He opened his eyes to feel the regrets of his decision piling up inside, No I can't think about it that way, I am a king that gave my life to bring a better hope and future for everyone. With that train of thought, the feelings disappeared.

Looking around, he watched as Louise struck up a conversation with a commoner. She had stiffened herself and steeled her attitude more befitting of a noble, although it felt quite off.

"Commoner, I require you to take my companion's horse as well as mine and put them in the stables," she commanded. Pulling out a small but weighty bag, she tossed it to the man before sliding off her horse and handed the reins to the man. He followed her example, though with more gratitude.

"Many thanks", Noctis said politely. The man stared for a moment before dipping his head in return.

"Not a problem, just doing my job", the man replied. He turned and led the horses away until they were out of sight.

"So, where are we staying at?" Noctis asked.

"At the Pinion's Nest", she said haughtily. Noctis frowned at the personality change.

"Louise", he said warningly, "this is not you, so stop acting like a noble with a stick up your ass". Louise looked astounded with the reply.

"Wha…What vu…vulgar language!", She stammered out loud. It was fortunate that the residents didn't take much notice at the ruckus they were causing.

"I only say that because it disgusts me when I see people do that to me", he resolutely said, "being a noble is no excuse for that kind of behaviour". Louise just clenched her jaws before huffing and walking off. Noctis sighed. He was no means sorry for saying that to her, but maybe he was a bit harsh. Letting her cool off would give him some ease in talking to her later.

Noctis glanced at the sun; it was still relatively lit. It seemed there was enough time to wander the markets a bit before meeting at the Pinions Nest. Taking a glance to the left, he noticed a man, wearing clothes that seemed out of place. A mop of brown styled itself into a parting at the front. A black jacket lined near the neck with what could be mistaken as feathers, a white undershirt, black trousers, with black buckled shoes.

The man seemed to know Noctis was looking at him but only took a short glance in the general direction he was at, before walking off. Noctis's eyes traced the man until he was out of sight. That was indeed strange, he thought. Storing that information in the back of his head, Noctis kept walking around the marketplace; he found it interesting. Watching people looking at wares, haggling for the prices; it was a pleasant environment.

Suddenly, a scream rang through the air, piercing the atmosphere. Heads turned, people halted what they were doing to see a small crowd of men striking down a woman. Blood trickled from the wound on her cheek as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Polonius wants his money peasant", the lead thug said, "you owed him since the beginning of this new moon's cycle, and now he wants it back". The poor woman, couldn't even think straight or form words in her mouth as the man grabbed her by the hair. Tugging it roughly, he pulled her up to his face.

"I…I don't have the money yet…", She pleaded, tears trickling down her cheeks. The man scowled deeply. He pulled back his hand and backhanded her onto the cobbled pavement. Noctis watched the scene with anger. He couldn't interfere as he knew it was business, but he knew the way they were treating her in public was unacceptable. As he formulated a plan in his head, a voice called out.

"Hey! Didn't your mom teach you how to treat women", the voice was cool and composed. When Noctis found the source, he was surprised to see the man before standing out of the crowd, in front of the thugs.

"Turn away commoner, this has nothing to do with you", the thug retorted. He brandished a rusty scimitar towards the brown-haired upstart. The man did nothing but draw out his own blade. When Noctis saw it, he was intrigued. A revolver like contraption was incorporated near the edges handle, and the sigil of a strange animal was engraved onto the blade.

"I think it does", the stranger replied, before getting into a battle ready stance. Two men instantly surged towards him, swords wildly flaring. They exchanged blows with enthusiasm, the stranger effortlessly parried them. Then one of the men left an opening, and the stranger took it, along with one of the men's arms. The man screamed in pain, momentarily distracting the other man before he to was struck in the chest deeply.

Seeing two of his men bested by the stranger, the thug leader yelled for all his men to engage the stranger. They all encircled the man, brandishing their swords, trying to intimidate him. But he saw through their tricks and focused. Then they struck.

The stranger parried a blow, then lowly kicked and knocked the sword before going into a roll and slicing another mans leg. Another swipe and other thugs fell. Slowly one by one, the men whittled down to three men, the other victims of stabs, slashes and kicks. Though it was apparent, the stranger was getting tired.

A thug flanked the stranger and stabbed. The stranger tried to dodge, but it pierced into his side, leaving him handicapped. The remaining men encircled him their blades held in front of them. They looked to their leader for approval; he nodded. They raised their swords and slashed.

CLANG!

Noctis warped in front of the man and brought up the 'Shield of the Just', blocking the swords. Before they could even react, Noctis brought out the engine blade and swiped at their unguarded chests, catching them all in one fell swoop. He turned around and offered a hand. The stranger gave him a guarded look before reluctantly taking his hand.

The thug leader looked at them with wide eyes."Wait, I…I..I'll you who hired my boys and me". Noctis and the stranger looked at each other before walking up to the man.

SMACK!

The pommel of the engine blade smacked into the guy's forehead - knocking him out cold. The stranger looked to Noctis.

"Thanks for the help back there", he said, "the name's Squall Leonhart".

"Noctis Lucis Caelum", Noctis replied. He pulled out some cloth and passed it onto Squall.

"You might want to seal that wound up; otherwise your gonna end up on the ground", he joked. Squall ignored it and took the cloth before heading towards the woman the thugs harassed. She was still curled up on the pavement.

"Are you alright?", She looked up to see Squall and Noctis standing in front of her. She looked around for the thugs, only to see them all over the place.

"Don't worry, they won't be bothering you anytime soon", Squall said. The woman just teared up. The next thing they knew, she was hugging Squall, gripping him tightly, muttering thanks. Squall just patted the woman before letting her off.

"Well that was eventful", Noctis said.

"Yes it seems that way", Squall looked at Noctis, eyeing his attire, "you don't look like your around from here?"

"I could say the same thing for you", Noctis countered, "all I'm saying is this is still kind of new to me".

"I agree", Squall suddenly looked up at the sky, to find that the sun was setting, "I got to go, don't want to be late for my ma…friend's celebrations". With that the otherworldly man jogged into the crowds, disappearing among the people. I definitely think he was going to say, master, Noctis thought. However, he knew that he needed to be back at the 'Pinion's Nest'. He headed towards the inn, wondering if there were others like Squall.


	5. Chapter 5

"Where were you?" was the question Noctis was thrown when he entered the inn, a frowning pinkette stood with hands on her hips. He could only give a shrug before taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack.

"I was exploring the marketplace", he replied, "you know, checking out the wares". Louise narrowed her gaze, sniffing out the simple lie he concocted. Realising she wasn't giving up, he spilt the beans.

"Okay, I was out to check the stalls and the goods, but I ran into a group of thugs. They were attacking a defenceless woman. Another man was holding them off, but he needed some help. So I rendered some assistance". She looked at him in disbelief.

"Did they have any notable symbols on their clothes". Noctis pulled a hand to his face. Come to think of it, there was a strange glyph on the uniforms of the men.

"Yeah, I saw flames clashing with spirals on a green circle. That sound familiar?" Louise's face scrunched up in a perplexed look, "judging by the look on your face, you don't recognise it either". She shook her head.

"I know you're still getting used to this reality but please refrain from causing any unnecessary trouble", she asked, "if you don't, I may have to cancel our trip to the café tomorrow and not get the shoes you would like".

"Okay Louise, I promise not to cause anymore trouble", he replied respectfully. She smiled, grateful that he was being reasonable.

"Well, it's getting late, I shall see you tomorrow morning. Good night!" she turned and entered her assigned room. Noctis waved back at her before turning to his own place and opening the door.

The room was small and cosy, a small fireplace kept the heat in the place. A small window opened out to the street below Noctis; people were chattering and interacting with each other in the low lit town. A small chest and a coat rack stood to the left of the bed – a smooth finish making them shine.

Noctis took off his outer garments and placed them onto the wooden rack. He proceeded to strip down to his boxers, hanging the rest of his garments onto the frame. He stretched his arms upwards, then down to his toes – cracks could be heard in the popping vertebrae. Resigning himself to the night, he flopped onto the bed, enjoying the warm comfort it provided him with. Not long after that, he went to sleep.

The next day Noctis and Louise headed out to the promised Café. 'Chevalier Noir', or the black knight as it was called stood out as a clean place for the pair to enjoy a cup of coffee and lunch.

"Hey Louise, do they have Ebony here?" Noctis asked. She looked at him quizzically.

"What is Ebony? A type of Coffee perhaps?" she bit her lips. She was quite well versed in the coffee of Tristain.

"I'm afraid they don't do 'Ebony as you say", she replied, "but you should try the latté, it is quite agreeable with me, and I am sure it will grow on you". He grudgingly accepted her compromise before they were seated at a polished table inside the café.

They chatted for a while, talking about their noble upbringings.

"There was a time when my weapons trainer really hated me, and I hated him equally", he recounted, "but one time his sister came to visit but got lost out in our garden. I took the blame for her, and ever since he was one of my closest friends." Louise tried to imagine that particular scenario playing out before telling a story of her own.

"Well, there was this one time when I was around eleven years old", she recalled, "and I was playing around with my wand when I accidentally blew up a portion of my mother's statue. Of course, my sisters knew I had done it, but after I begged them to help me, they came up with the ingenious idea of filling the hole with plaster filling". She smiled as she remembered.

"And then what happened?"

"Well, my mother and father walked by the statue together when he noticed how her statue was a bit different", she giggled, "he said 'Karin, I don't remember you being that flat chested', of course, that earned him a slap to the face and an enraged wife. To this day, they still haven't found out it was me that did it."

"Wow Louise, you're a bit of a rebellious noble", Noctis remarked, causing a blush to redden her face.

"Oh hush, it was only one time", she grinned, "all the other times, I was caught". A waiter moved to the table to deliver the hot beverages they had ordered. Noctis and Louise both took a long whiff of the caffeine before taking a sip. Noctis let the hot drink swirl around his mouth for a bit and decided he liked it.

"So how is it?" she asked patiently. Noctis grinned and held up the mug to his face.

"I think this stuff is better than ebony, that's for sure", he said with finality. Louise smiled as well, and the pair sipped away at the coffee.

"Noctis", Louise said, "I apologise about yesterday". Her face pulled up into a slight frown. "Sometimes I feel the need to act more befitting of a noble".

"Louise, a good noble does not need to be an ass to project nobility", Noctis explained, "in fact, having a helpful attitude and being well mannered is what wins' people over. But that doesn't mean you need to be a pushover either". Louise smiled lightly.

"Thanks for the advice", she took another sip.

"No problem", he said, "by the way, can we stop by the shoe shop? I need some new shoes". She rolled her eyes and cocked her eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Really". Louise finished the rest of her drink before pushing her chair out and brushing herself off.

"Well then, shall we?", Noctis quickly got up and followed Louise.

The bells on the door jingled as Noctis and Louise entered the shoe parlour. It was mostly quiet, though there were a small number of other people browsing through the wares. Noctis left Louise and looked around the store.

He passed many shoes, new and old, big and small. Few tickled his fancy, but many were impractical for the purposes he was thinking of. He needed shoes that wouldn't wear away quickly, but not too bulky.

Leather shoes were too flashy and weak to be of any use, but the practical footwear was also too bulky and restricted movement; it also looked ugly. The shopkeeper passed by and noticed the dilemma Noctis was in.

"You need some assistance sir?" the man asked. Noctis sighed and nodded, "what is the issue?"

"I'm looking for some footwear that doesn't wear out too easily", Noctis explained, "but the line of work I'm doing requires flexibility and agility. And I don't want it to mess up my style". He hung his head, slightly embarrassed by the requests he made.

"Well that is an interesting mix of things", the man said, "however, I do believe we have what you may be looking for". Noctis's head perked at the answer.

The old man motioned for Noctis to follow; he obliged. After a couple of twists and turns, they arrived on a particular shelf, a sign was placed near the display, 'Nobility Only'. The rack was packed with boots of all shapes and sizes, and they were what he was looking for. As he gazed at the collection he found a particular pair interesting; he pointed at them.

"What kind of boots are those".

"Ah…that is the latest in the line for the ranger corp", the shop keeper replied, "they aren't being requested as of late which means I have a large stock of them not being sold. If you would like, I could lower the price to about…60 'livres'". Noctis was silently screaming on the inside. Shit, what is a 'livre', Astrals! It was like Gil when we left Insomnia.

"Can I consult with my friend before purchasing", Noctis asked. The man nodded. Noctis quickly headed to Louise, who was busy looking at heeled footwear.

"Louise, I found a pair of shoes", he said, "but they are 60 'livres', is that expensive?"

"It's not that pricey, I can buy it for you", she replied. Noctis smiled, then turned back to the shop keeper.

"I would like that pair please", the shop keeper turned and grabbed the pair of boots. They headed to the counter. Louise handed the 60 'livres', and the man gave the shoes. Noctis gratefully accepted the items before heading out with Louise in tow.

Not long after that, he was wearing the boots…

"Okay, the next order of business is to get you some other clothing. You've been wearing those clothes for far too long", Louise said, "we can get your measurements and get the tailors to deliver the clothes at a later date". The pair walked in another store, this time filled with garments of many styles.

Louise picked out many clothes and styles for Noctis to try, which he did grudgingly. Many of the outfits were tight-fitting, stuck up and impractical for situations where the required manoeuvrability. The robes, silly hats and warm clothing was too much for him.

"Louise these clothes are terrible", he remarked.

"But these are the latest in the line of fashion from the aristocracy", she protested.

"Latest my ass, it looks like hand-me-downs from a clown", he remarked. Louise was not amused.

"Arrrhh…you are so picky, is there nothing else we can get?" He looked around before spotting a brown leather trench coat.

"Actually there is", Noctis strode over to the coat and held it up. The thickness would protect him from most of the elements, but also was flexible and not stuffy; hopefully, he could get it in black.

He also found a pair of trousers that Louise vehemently disagreed with. They argued for a minute or so before she relented. Noctis also found a black dress shirt that was quite agreeable with his black is good philosophy, though it reminded him of Ignis a little. After a while, Noctis gave the items over to Louise who then passed it on to the Tailor.

"Ah, so this is what you want?" he asked. Louise turned to Noctis who then nodded. The man then looked over his shoulders.

"Vivian, please come to the front, we have measurements to do!" the lady in question raced to the front, measuring tape in hand as she and the Tailor put Noctis into different positions before measuring. They finished after gruelling minutes of waiting.

"There we are, we shall send these articles of clothing at a later date", the man chirped, "that'll be 20 'livres'". Louise handed the money over, and the man took it happily.

"Have a nice day", he said.

"A good day to you as well", Louise replied. She and Noctis left the store.

"Well, I think we should head back to the academy Noctis".

"Yeah, would probably be wise for you to get back to school", he remarked. With that said, the pair headed to the Inn, packed up their belongings and headed for the stables. Not long after that, they were off, back in the direction of the academy.

* * *

"Squall, what were you thinking?". Squall sighed at the man's concern.

"I saw something out of place and wanted to fix it", he replied curtly, "besides, Claude's thugs have been fooling around the town too much, I think they needed a lesson taught". The man took some bandaging and wrapped it around Squall's torso.

Squall grunted in pain, the sensitive skin reacted to the rough material. The other man wiped his hands clean before heading off into another room. When the door closed, Squall sighed.

It had been only two months since he was brought into this strange place. Nothing like his world. Everything was backwards: technology, fashion and society. When he was 'summoned' as they called it, his master was nothing more than a simple man, who 'apparently' wasn't supposed to be able to summon him here.

The fact that he also got a branding was also quite disturbing and confusing, but the man was thankfully quite remorseful of his actions. His profession as a doctor, fortunately, allowed him to survive on the man's salary temporarily before he found himself working as a mercenary, which fitted his skills perfectly.

His gun-blade, the 'Lion Heart' fortunately came with him through the transition, though he didn't use it in case of attracting the wrong kind of attention, so he used the 'Revolver' gun-blade instead.

His inner thoughts were interrupted when the man reentered the room.

"Squall, who was the man who helped you", he asked.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum".

"Sounds like a noble."

"He was a familiar", the man instantly snapped his head towards Squall.

"What?"

"I know. But I could tell from his attire and the lack of knowledge about Tristain", he explained, "I also watched him summon a sword out of thin air to block an attack, so he must have some magic affinity". Of course, he had some too, but this was beyond what Squall could do.

The man stroked his bearded chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Perhaps we should meet him and his master, noble no doubt about it".

"I spotted them heading out the gates of the city. I think the noble is a girl from the magical academy", Squall said, "oddly enough her hair was pink, and she was quite short, know any nobles like that Simon?"

"She must be the spawn of the Vallières nobility", 'Simon' replied, "this will certainly make things interesting". With that said, the man began packing his things, writing checklists of things to buy. Squall grabbed a leather bag and packed only the bare essentials for the trip.

The two of them set out into the marketplace.

(References to Noctis' changed attire)

.

the boots look like this; . )


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey Louise"

"Hmm… Yes, Noctis", she replied.

"You mind if I see professor Colbert", he asked. She nodded her head and motioned for him to go. He left the room and took a right on the hallway. It had been only hours since their day trip, and Noctis was already feeling purposeless. Luckily he remembered the request he asked of Colbert.

He headed down the plush halls to find himself at the entrance to the Northern tower. It was easily the biggest of the five and represented the power of void as seen by the seal of chaos. Noctis opened the wooden door to find the main room empty.

"Hello?", He called. His eyes found nothing but crates, shelves and tables that had dust and cobwebs. Everything in the room was in a state of disrepair or had layers of filth that seemed to hide them from existence. Noctis concluded that this tower was used mainly for storage.

Seeing no sign of the bald professor, he wiped a stool and tentatively sat on the chair, testing its strength before setting his whole weight on it. The seat groaned but luckily held. Noctis tapped his foot, where was the professor. After several minutes, Noctis was about to leave when the door opened.

"Oh…there you are Noctis", Colbert said. In his arms were large boxes of items to go into the storage room. Noctis quickly got out his chair.

"Let me help."

"Why thank you, Noctis", the younger man grabbed some of the boxes. Colbert pointed up the stairwell.

"These need to go upstairs in one of the secondary storage rooms, we can conduct our lesson in one of those rooms", he explained. Noctis nodded and proceeded to haul himself up the stone stairs.

"So Colbert, what are going to be learning today?", Noctis asked.

"Well that depends on what you have in mind, are you interested in the history, culture or the language?", The professor replied. Noctis thought it over for a while.

"I guess I would like to know more about the culture and the customs", he decided, "that way, I won't get into any social taboo's."

"Wise choice", the two of them reached the top of the stairwell and opened one of the doors. The room they entered was like the rest of the tower, filthy and filled with cobwebs; however, it had a blackboard, a desk and shelves to hold books. Colbert placed the box he was carrying down and so did Noctis.

"Well here we are", Colbert said with finality, "grab a bag of chalk for me while I find some of the textbooks". Noctis searched the boxes until he found what he was looking. The professor dug out a hefty tome of some customs and laws of Tristain.

"Noctis may I ask you to take a seat; this will end up being quite long", he complied and took the seat closest to the blackboard.

"Now to give you backstory for our ways, long ago we had a mysterious figure known as Brimir change the world. He granted those who were his followers and disciples the ability to harness magic, which distinguishes us from the common person. This great gap in abilities led to those that had magic being known as nobles."

"So the only difference between Nobles and Commoners is magic?"

"Well, that is the main difference. Nobles are also more wealthy due to their status's as mages, which grants them land and power. This difference widens the gap between them and commoners, making it almost impossible for commoners to be on the same level as them. As a result, commoners are to respect nobles or face consequences they are powerless to stop".

"Seems like a lot of bullying to me", Noctis said.

"Indeed, this is one of the many things that are problematic in this society", Colbert admitted, "the next thing that you need to know is the Pentagon of powers. As you may be aware, the school has five towers, no more no less. This design is to represent the five elements of magic that Brimir brought into this world. Water, Fire, Wind, Earth and Void. Most mages specialise in one element, I myself am proficient in the arts of fire magic".

"However; currently there is no-one to my knowledge, that can harness the void. This gap is problematic as it is said to be the most powerful of all 'magics'. A taboo was then created, where nobles prefer not to believe in the void's existence, leading to many different people to believe their element is more powerful than it."

"Of course, there is no evidence to support those claims, mainly speculations", Colbert explained, "Now the main governments of Halkegenia are Tristain, Albion, Gallia, Germania and Romalia. Tristain, as you know, is the country in which we reside in, our monarchy is currently undergoing a transference of powers to 'Princess Henrietta', we are known for our arts and the academy of magic, bringing many students from around Halkegenia to study with us".

"Albion is a country that rests on a floating island; this is due to the vast amount of wind-stone deposits, which levitate the land mass in the air. It's well known for its production of airships. They have a monarchy as well; however, there has been some civil unrest in the country, which has made them isolated from trade".

"Gallia is also a monarchy and has a large amount of land, most which used for agricultural purposes. The current king, Joseph of Gallia is seen as a fair ruler, though there have been rumours of assassinations of political rivals and use of spies in different parts of Halkegenia".

"Germania is the largest country in size out of all the nations, best known for it's a powerful and large military force. An emperor governs it and it comes from the union of many smaller nations under its grasp. The emperor is Albert the third. He has mixed opinions about him, namely the number of scandals he has managed to stir up in recent years of his coronation."

"And finally Romalia, this nation is just larger than Tristain, but it has huge political power due to its hosting of the 'Founders Faith', which is a religious group with ties to all significant nobles. This religion allows for Romalia to if need be, take emergency powers and use the other nations to its advantage. Though this would eventually cause the other countries to break up with Romalia."

"Hopefully that summarises the main five nations and their backstories", Colbert said, "now onto the ideals of the founder…"

Noctis nodded as he took in everything. Despite his loathing for studying, he found it quite interesting to listen about other cultures and the practices they did; mostly…

After what had been at least an hour of knowledge, Noctis was ready to hit the haystack. The professor had been very thorough in the culture that he drilled into his head; tomorrow was the next day for lessons. All he wanted to do now was find the room and sleep till he woke up.

Slipping through the hallway, he passed by a small alcove by the stairwell, somewhat hidden from sight. As he passed by it, he heard hushed whispers. He usually wouldn't eavesdrop on the students, but for some reason, he was compelled to listen in; he leant up against the wall.

"Guiche my love, when shall we finally announce our union?" a feminine voice cooed.

"Soon, when the time is right Katie my love", 'Guiche' replied, "but let us enjoy the company we have provided each other".

"Ooh, I almost forgot", a rustling of cloth could be heard, "I made a wonderful fragrance for you my love, I hope you like it". There was a tense pause, Noctis scooched closer to the entrance, straining his ears in anticipation.

"…it's wonderful Katie, I'll find a use for it I'm sure", Guiche gushed, forced affection oozing from the sound of his voice. Noctis could've snorted at that reply, but he didn't want to blow his cover.

"It's getting late Katie; we don't want anyone finding out about this", there was a shuffle as the pair clambered out of the hiding place. Noctis summoned his engine blade before throwing it to the ceiling. Just as they exited the alcove, Noctis warped to the sword hanging precariously from the roof.

"Goodnight Guiche my love", Katie said. They held hands for a few moments before parting ways, heading in opposite directions down the hallway. After they passed out of sight, Noctis dropped into a roll. Getting up and brushing himself off, he turned to the stairs and headed up them.

It was none of his business, but he felt sooner or later it would involve him in one way or another.

The next morning, Noctis was back into lessons with the professor. It was focused on the language of Halkegenia and how to read and write. Noctis groaned as he tried to memorise the symbols and what they meant.

A hand went to his forehead. It felt as though he became a 17-year-old again, studying for school; except Ignis wasn't there to nag him. Notes were hastily scribbled on an old book Colbert had found stuffed in a cobweb infested closet. Noctis at times sneezed with great force, relieving the pressure built up from the dustiness of the book.

An hour had passed before they stopped - a need to eat breakfast overcoming the two of them.

"Noctis, I am afraid I am unable to continue our lessons until I have been granted some leeway with my classes", Colbert explained, "the headmaster has strict rules and regulations about the quality of the education we give to these children, so I am obliged to follow them".

"Thank you for your time Colbert", Noctis replied, "I hope we can continue these lessons in the future". The pair made their way to the dining hall. The students all sat around the mahogany tables and furnishings, drinking beverages out of gold goblets and eating off silver platters.

Colbert left Noctis to find the teachers seating area. Noctis searched around for a familiar pink head. His eyes suddenly caught sight of the brightly coloured hair, standing out like a beacon to the ocean. He followed it to arrive at a table sparse of company except for Louise.

"So, what took you so long Noctis?" she asked.

"I had a lesson with Colbert", she cocked an eyebrow but didn't say a word. A maid came to the table, food in hand for the pair of them. They ate in silence; letting the spices and flavour permeate the senses.

However, Noctis became aware of the eyes of other students on him and Louise. Tuning in, he could make out faint conversations about him being a familiar eating at the table.

"That strange familiar is eating at a nobles table!"

"It's against the rules isn't it?"

"Maybe, but it seems different than ours. It's human for one."

"Don't be silly; it should eat from the floor like the animal it is."

The last comment almost triggered Noctis into an offensive frenzy and beating down the ignorant noble boy; he reigned in his temper. He continued to eat his meal in silence, blocking out all distractions. With a final gulp, he placed the spoon down on the table.

"Louise, I'm going outside, I'll meet up with you later", she nodded in response and waved him off. Noctis got up out off the chair when he bumped into someone.

"Ooooff!", A feminine voice groaned. Noctis looked down to see a girl with blonde hair and an indignant expression rubbing her head. She opened her eyes; a fluster appeared.

"Can't you see where you are going, dolt!" she exclaimed. Students turned their heads to the commotion. Noctis only looked and didn't say a word. On the inside, he was grappling for control over his emotions. This insult would be the last straw. He drew back the raging emotions and began to count.

1…2….3….4…5…6…7…8..9…

"How dare you assault my dear Montmorency", Noctis snapped his eyes open to see Guiche from last night standing protectively over her.

"I didn't do anything to your friend", Noctis exasperated, "if anything, she bumped into me and didn't apologise". Guiche snorted contemptuously.

"She is my fianceé, and Nobles don't apologise to commoners like yourself", Noctis was about to rip into the little cocky moron when he had a sudden revelation. A confused look plastered his face.

"Wait…if Montmorency is your fianceé, then who is Katie?". Instantly the room froze as students began to process what he just implied. Guiche's face froze like a deer in the headlights of Montmorency's gaze. A roll of emotions clicked through her face: shock, hurt and above all disgust, flicked through her facial expressions.

"Guiche, who is Katie to you?" she asked innocently, but a deadly undertone lined each syllable. The boy in question gulped heavily, sweating salty bullets.

"Sh-sh-she-she's nothing to me, Mon-Mon", he stuttered to her.

"Oh. Really?" Noctis interjected, "then what was that business of 'Guiche, my love, when shall we finally announce our union?'. What did she mean by that?". The room was truly silent.

Oh shit… could be heard murmuring from some of the students.

A loud slap sounded in the hallway. The red welt on Guiche's face grew to more significant proportions after the initial slap.

"You…pig of a man, secretly dashing off with other women when not in my company, yet professing love that is empty in meaning and truth", tears came to Montmorency's eyes, "never in my life have I been so humiliated. I never want to see you again Gramont."

With that scathing comment, she drew away, sobbing as she stomped off out of the dining hall. Murmurs from other students crept back into the sombre space. Noctis looked at Guiche, giving him a hardened gaze.

"You do not want to make an enemy of me, brat", Noctis growled, "lest this happens again". The threat hung in the air, striking fear in the blonde playboy's heart. Guiche clenched his fist weakly before stumbling off, retreating to tend to his broken pride. Noctis then glared at the staring students.

"As for the rest of you, consider yourselves lucky you don't have to deal with me. And don't even think about trying to act better than me", Noctis pointed to himself, "or I'll make sure you are thoroughly humiliated like your friend". With that said, he exited the hallway, leaving eternal silence.

"How did you know?", Louise asked. She and Noctis were outside on some benches, watching as a handful of the younger students doing a sport in their spare time.

"That Guiche and Katie were a thing?" she nodded, "I was walking down a hallway to the dormitories, getting ready to sleep." Louise listened, her attention entirely on him.

"It was then after I passed the stairwell near the alchemy laboratories, I heard voices speaking in a hidden alcove", he gestured to his ears, "so I pressed my head to the wall, and then concentrated before I was able to hear their conversation."

"So what did they exactly say?" usually Louise wasn't a gossip girl, but this incident had her lapping up the juices of information from Noctis.

"I don't need to say all the stuff they said Louise", he retorted lightly, "besides seeing all these kids playing reminds me of what we promised to do when we got back. Practice magic." Louise groaned internally; this was going to end badly.

"Noctis remember what I said, I can't control my magic", she said in an annoyed tone. He gave her a knowing look.

"What if I gave you something to help…shape the power", his explanation puzzled her, "just hold this stone for me, okay?" He placed a strange contraption on her hand. A purple glow emanated from its centre, while various pipes, holes and appendages poked out of its body.

"Okay, now I want you to do a basic spell, okay?" he asked, she nodded. Louise took out her wand with the other contraption in her hand. Quietly reciting the spell to herself, she openly took the required stance.

"Levitate un bench!" she exclaimed, shutting her eyes.

Nothing happened.

Louise opened her eyes to see the bench; she cast a spell on, levitating. She gasped, and tears came to her eyes.

"It…it…it finally worked!" she cried. The salty rivers flushed down her face, with the realisation that at last, she had success. She fell onto her knees and sobbed harder. Louise felt a hand on her shoulders and looked to see Noctis's face smiling.

Louise got up and hugged him tightly. Never had she thought it possible for her familiar to help with her magic, but it happened.

"Louise, you can let go now", instantly she let go, suddenly aware of how long she embraced him. An embarrassed tinge graced her cheeks.

"I just wanted to… say thank you Noctis", she said, "this was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm grateful that you helped me. So from the bottom of my heart, I am forever in your gratitude".

"It's alright Louise. I'm just glad that my idea worked", he admitted. Louise felt giddy at the knowledge of her newfound power. She glanced at the strange contraption before holding it up.

"So... what is this Noctis?" she asked hesitantly.

"That is what we call a 'magitek' device", he replied, "it's a mixture of both technology and magic blended together to help bridge the gap between the two concerning ability and uses".

"The device you specifically have is a conduit, normally it regulates the magic from an object, but it seems to work with you". Louise beamed. Now she wanted to test it out.

"I'm going to test it out with a couple of other spells", she said.

"Go right on, I'll just watch", and with that, Louise cast the next spell.

"Alchemi – Earth!"

* * *

"How many mages have been confirmed?" a figure spoke, seated on a black throne; his back unnaturally hunched broodingly. A dulled silver crown shadowed his face, a neatly trimmed grey beard decorated his jawline.

"Only three so far my lord", a feeble voice spoke, his face covered by a crimson hood, "we have two more unconfirmed and rumours of another". Eyes peered at the weak man in suspicion and interest.

"What do these rumours speak of?" the crowned man said. An audible gulp and fits of coughing brought the advisor to pause before speaking.

"A girl with pink hair is studying at the Tristain magical academy. She has summoned a human familiar", the lesser man gargled. Silence thickened in the tension. The crowned figure sat up straighter; strains of light brightened the darkened features to reveal slitted golden eyes.

"Such an oddly specific detail. Pink hair", he growled, "has there been any efforts to discover relatives and lineages?" The hooded advisor tilted to the side as if the answer was so simple.

"The girl is the youngest daughter of the famed manticore knight, Karin of Heavy Winds. She is one of the strongest square class mages of this era and invented the 'air-step' technique which allowed her to compress air to form platforms in the air". The thrones armrests were gripped so tightly, cracks rapidly crawling on the once perfect wood.

"This is an unexpected outcome", the hands let go of the furniture to form laced fingers; the chin sat firmly in deep thought. He stood up abruptly.

"Double our agents' efforts in confirming the identities of the other void mages; this is an unprecedented time of the age where the descendants of Brimir have grown in significant numbers. I can feel the power of their familiars resonating throughout all of Halkegenia".

"Yes…my liege", the advisor slunk away, leaving the crowned man alone in the room. Hands reached into the pockets of the robe rummaging till they struck a smooth solid surface. Fingers were gripping it; he pulled it out to reveal a blue crystal. The rock glowed with ethereal lights, power emanating from it's very being.


	7. Chapter 7

Louise was in the academy library, flipping through pages, soaking in the content of spells; she was so excited to try them all. The book she was reading focused on the aspects of wind and air manipulation. With her eyes glued to the words, she didn't even notice the person walk up behind her.

"What are you reading?" She turned and gasped, clutching her chest. Noctis smirked at her reaction. "You should probably get better at maintaining your reactions".

"Noctis, don't scare me like that!" Her face was red with embarrassment, "I thought you were someone else".

"Come on Louise; it's hard to mistake me for someone else, given my accent", he remarked. Louise rolled her eyes and turned back to the book.

"I know, but it still unnerves me when people sneak up on me". She traced a finger over the paragraphs till she found the sentence she was reading. Noctis peered at the cover, his mind translating what he learnt with Colbert and applying it here.

"A-rial Man-ipu-lation?" He read out uncertainly. His reading was getting better, though he still had much to learn before he was fluent.

"Uh-huh", she off-handedly murmured. A page flipped to reveal more paragraphs and a diagram. The sketch portrayed an image of the spell in motion, giving the ability to create small scale tornadoes by manipulating the pressure and temperature of the moisture in the air. His eyes were drawn to the detail of the strange phenomena.

"I want to try this spell now, want to come to Noctis?" Louise said, hands gently shutting the book together.

He rolled his eyes, "Of course I'll come, this should be interesting…".

* * *

The normally packed spell fields were strangely desolate, the large plot of land whispering pleas for practice. Using a paint she found in the storeroom, Louise drew up a hollow circle about seven metres in diameter, perfect in symmetry. An incantation escaped her lips, and the circle glowed with power.

Noctis watched the display on the border of the circle with amusement and wondered how the spell would turn out. A small thought occurred to him that Louise hadn't had much practice with casting proper spells, only basic things she had studied in class; he probably should have said something.

Louise stood on the edge of the circle, her body a solid rock unyielding to the winds. Mutterings expelled from her mouth, reciting the spell softly, knowing and understanding it. The wand rose from her side, pointed at the centre of the ring of magic. Eyes squinted at the mark.

"Cumulonimbus Agitate", the spell acted instantly, winds swirling at high velocities. It was relentless, sucking grass, sticks, and debris into it's majestic and terrifying form. The winds darkened and began to take shape; the familiar spout of a storm formed. Louise moved the wand left and right, the tornado was compelled to obey its the new master.

With her eyes lit up in wonder and awe she turned to Noctis, a revelation of her power and strength right before their eyes. He nodded in approval, a glint in his eyes showing his respect for her. Her spirit rocketed to the sky, a sense of accomplishment and pride filled her soul. It then shattered when she turned around.

Without its master's watchful gaze, the tornado began to grow in size. Its freedom apparent, the tornado flew from her control, rapidly tearing into the magical circle. Louise struggled to maintain the integrity of the barrier; weight began to build on her body. At one point it felt like she was trying to bear the weight of the entire academy; she could no longer hold it. The tornado broke free and began its warpath towards the central tower.

"Oh…no", she whispered. Noctis quickly leapt to action. With outstretched hands, he quickly summoned the 'Shield of the Just'. Throwing his energy signature around, he warped in front of the raging spell.

The shield crushed the dirt as Noctis entrenched the crystalline matter. Branches of light exploded out of the shield. The tendrils of the matter linked together, filling in empty gaps to form a glassy shield larger than the tornado.

The storm struck against the shield, relentless in its assault for freedom. The swirling winds ground roughly, creating sparks of light that faded in an instant. Noctis held fast against the shield, face set in a permanent scowl. Though he seemed to be concentrating on the storm, this was simple compared to the assault of Daemons the had experienced during his journeys.

Eventually, the spell let up its futile assault. Without steady concentration from the mage that cast it, the storm dissipated into thin air, leaving behind torn up grass and debris. The storm left a path of neatly trimmed dirt.

Noctis looked up from the massive barrier he erected, gazing at the damage caused by the tornado. With one swift tug, he pulled the shield out of the dirt, cancelling the more massive shield. The crystalline surfaces melted away seemingly pulled back into the caster. With a wave of his arm, the 'Shield of the Just' vanished in the air. Noctis looked at Louise with an eyebrow raised.

"Well that turned out differently than expected", he joked, she stifled a laugh before taking a deep breath.

"I agree", Louise replied, "I don't know how to react to this, whether to be happy I almost destroyed the school or horrified that I almost killed people". Noctis raised his eyebrows. "Don't even ask, it's just weird".

Noctis glanced around the demolished area before his senses tingled, a small crowd of students were beginning to emerge from the west tower, their attention not yet fixed to the destruction. If there was anything that he had learnt during the road trip with the choco-bros, it was that attention was a bad thing. A hand roughly snatched up Louise's.

"Hey what are you doing?", She exclaimed. He pulled her hand and dragged her from the fields.

"Just follow me", he shot back. The pair made it into the void tower before she wrenched her hand out of his grip.

"Okay, Noctis. What's going on!", she exploded, "why are we running and hiding away from the other students?" Her anger was comparable to that of Leviathan when Lunafreya summoned the astral; Noctis wasn't phased.

"Because of the reactions", he retorted, "you don't know who could take advantage of your power and abilities Louise."

"Noctis, I think you are a bit paranoid", she suggested, rubbing her wrists gently. "Besides, who in this school would want to harm us seriously". His head shook from side to side.

"Maybe I am paranoid, but if there is anything I've learnt, it is that we prepare for the worst", he said, "especially when you can produce a powerful spell that only a higher class triangle mage can produce. Most of your group can barely even manage a decent line incantation except some". She smirked at that. Noctis was not amused.

"Wipe that off your face Vallieré. There are many more powerful mages than you, including your mother and if an enemy spy was watching you, they could take you out as a threat", Noctis let the statement hang in the air, "do you get it?" Louise's head could only sheepishly look down.

She nodded numbly. He was right; it was unheard of for mages graduating straight from the academy to be capable of strong spells such as the one she demonstrated. It required years for magical reserves to increase and practice to master it. She did something extraordinary, which would indeed attract unwanted attention.

"You're right Noctis; I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry". The pair of them sat in silence.

"Hey Louise"

"Yeah?"

"Is there a festival coming up?" he asked, "I've seen posters, as well as crates and wooden platforms set up around the school grounds. What is happening?" Louise frowned, trying to remember what it could be. A couple of events popped into her head. Then it came to her, like a cathedral bell ringing the time.

"Oh Louise you are such an idiot", she mumbled to herself, "it's the annual Tristain magical showcase. Where various nobles from across Tristain and some of the other nations come to showcase talent, they also make us students demonstrate our familiars to the royal family."

"Louise, why didn't you tell me this before?" Noctis was slightly annoyed; mostly about the fact, he was going to be paraded around like an animal in a zoo. She had an apologetic look on her face.

"It was announced a week ago when we had travelled to Bellaruse" she explained. "It changes dates depending on the year, but generally falls just after the summons ceremony".

"Any reason why they do it", Noctis asked. She placed her lithe hands onto a dusty crate and rested her weight.

"My understanding is that some of the prominent nobles in Tristain, even from other countries are looking for possibly powerful mages to take under their wings, some like the Tristain Air Corp which are always scouting for familiars that are large enough to ride into battle. Others would delve deeper into magic research, particularly on the subject of Brimir."

"What would they think of me being your familiar?" He questioned. Her muscles pulled tautly, a shallow gulp heard in the desolate room.

"They could think that I just hired a servant to become my familiar, it is simply too hard to explain how I summoned a human to become my companion." They both contemplated this issue; it was difficult to know how much the nobles would dismiss as lies and what they would do to Louise.

"What if we didn't do the display?" He suggested.

"That would humiliate me", Louise shot back desperately.

"Yes, but you don't have to do it do you?"

"Yes…but…"

"You could instead show off some of the things you mastered from using the conduit", he explained, "most of the things you did are more than enough to garner some good recognition, that way you won't be held accountable for a false summoning".

Louise glanced over to Noctis, hope glistening in her pink iris, "you think I can pull this off?" He paused, eyes glossing over the untapped potential that was Louise. Her lack of esteem blinded her and others to what was possible through her.

"I know you can Louise", he said, "I believe in you". She smiled and sniffed. Wiping her eyes, she grinned.

"Thanks…for believing in me", he smiled back.

"All right, enough with the emotional coddling, we still need to figure out what your display is going to be". Both turned the cogs of thought through their heads. Ideas were swirling in their heads, a tornado sucking up thoughts and spitting new ones out, recycled and unoriginal.

"What if we did a comedy sketch?", She replied, "And I use magic to make you look like a clown?". Noctis eyed her with murderous intent.

"Okay on second thought, what if we showed my ability to conjure a twister, but shrunk the scale to the size of my palm?". Noctis shrugged his shoulders.

"That already sounds like a perfect solution, not being too powerful, but powerful enough to maintain that spell at that size", Noctis said, "I guess that's the idea you'll have to go with, but you'll need some practice beforehand". She grunted with displeasure and rolled her eyes. The door slammed, and she was gone.

* * *

Weeks flew past Noctis. Between coaching Louise and studying in Colbert's lectures; the monotony reminded him of his adventure with his old friends. Driving the Regalia, hunting monsters, being hunted by monsters and so on. It was a wild ride and something he would cherish.

The lessons although difficult and gruelling, bore fruit as he slowly, yet surely began to understand the language and was able to read books. On the recommendation of Colbert, he began borrowing massive amounts of text to practice reading and to understand the literature.

Already he had read sixteen different texts, all of them historical books detailing the past of Tristain. The history behind the country was something that peaked his interests.

The country used to be much larger than it is currently. Its borders were double the size and possessed much of what became known as Gallia. The line of royalty originally was of Jacques de Trué and his descendants from when Brimir established the four nations.

Over time, the political climate changed and the last de Trué died centuries ago, unable to produce an heir. This power gap then led to a small civil war between the nobility over the throne. Unfortunately, this is what allowed Gallia and Germania to seize large portions of territory from Tristain.

These circumstances allowed the La Roché family to unite the nobility and repel the invaders, albeit still with a territorial loss. They then claimed the throne and adopted the name 'Tristain' as a symbol of their ownership of the throne.

Noctis flipped through the next couple of pages, translating the symbols into words when he noticed something strange. Under nations, he could see the usually five: Tristain, Albion, Gallia, Romalia and Germania. There were also other lines which should've denoted other nations; however, they were crossed out in black ink. Bits and pieces of the words were still visible, but Noctis still couldn't make it out.

Closing the book, he stared at the cover, eyes scanning for the Author. 'H Erving' was engraved on the hard leather of the crusty book. It was clear that this author had more to say on the world of Halkegenia than most books even hinted.

A craving sensation filled his body; fingers brushed the edges of the book before grasping it. It plopped into a leather satchel. Noctis sealed the bag up, perhaps Colbert would have some idea of where it hailed from; after all, it was in the library.

He exited the library, walking briskly in the direction of Colbert's office, he caught the stares of other students. Some whispered about him; others stayed clear of his path. The shivering feeling of being judged and watched was slightly unbearable. This reputation wasn't what he wanted when he reprimanded the noble kid.

After passing through noble-engorged hallways, he stopped by Colbert's office. He knocked on the door. A faint reply before Noctis twisted the latch and entered. The professor looked up briefly from his papers before a small smile grew on his face.

"Ah Noctis, how may I help you?" he asked cheerily.

"Hey Professor, I was going through some of the texts that I had borrowed and stumbled across a blotted out section". He pulled out the history and flipped to the section mentioned above.

"See, it has all the countries, but then it adds a couple more which have been blotted out with some ink." The Professor looked at it curiously. With furrowed eyebrows, the older man attempted to infer the missing information.

After minutes of silence, the Professor shook his head.

"I'm sorry Noctis, I haven't got a clue what these countries could be or even existed. Who was the author?"

"A man by the name of H. Erving", Noctis replied. A look of familiarity spilt onto Colbert's face. "Professor, you seem to know this Author".

"I've heard of him yes", he adjusted his wiry glasses, "though I haven't been able to read any of his works. He's well known for his thesis on 'The Probability of Void' which garnered universal acclaim." The professor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Noctis, would you kindly let me borrow the book for a short time?"

"Of course professor." The stout old book was laid carefully on the oak desk.

"I'll tell you what I find Noctis after the showcase", he cleared his voice, "speaking of the showcase; have you decided on what you would like to do?"

Noctis nodded. "Yeah, I've been helping Louise shape her magic and channel it into something usable. She has so much potential that would probably surprise her peers". Colbert smiled at that.

"Thank you Noctis; I appreciate you doing this", he said, "it has been a long time since I saw Miss Valliere in a good place". He sighed, "I've tried to support her and give her hope, but you have been able to do above and beyond that".

"I am grateful that you are her familiar, thank you for sticking by her Noctis". Noctis smirked.

"Its no biggie, I just had to get used to being in a new place". The two shared a knowing look.

"Well you best be off, I have a lecture to teach in four minutes, and I need to attend to these papers." Noctis bowed his head in acknowledgement and exited the room.

Colbert stared at the book on his desk. Its presence in the library cause concern to well up inside of the professor. Were there things in this book that even he didn't know?

He grabbed a quill and ink, quickly jotting down some words. There was only one thing he could do...


End file.
